Capt. Dave Stephens
Well fellow anglers, Mother Nature has brought us some weather that has dropped the water temperatures. Don’t worry, Charlotte Harbor still has plenty of great fishing. The last couple weeks we have changed up our approach and have been putting a lot of fish to the boat. Shrimp and soft plastics have been the baits of choice, and the fish have been eating them very well.
The trout have really begun to school up with the cooler waters. The biggest issue we face is the swing in temperatures. We might be in the high of 60’s a few days, then have a high in the upper 70’s for a week. Locating fish after those cooler days might take a little time. Water cools from the surface down, so starting deeper is the best choice. After a front passes, fish will move to the deeper water to stay warm. On those nice sunny Florida days, look to the shallower flats. Shrimp has been the bait of choice on the cooler days. If I have been fishing water depths over four feet, a shrimp on a jig head has been the big producer. My personal choice is a 1/8oz chartreuse jig. Honestly, I believe whatever color you like will work. As the water warms, I have been changing things up. Soft plastics and shrimp under a popping cork has been doing great. The warmer water moves trout in the shallower water and they have been more active. Z-man minnow-z have been very productive. Over the grass, darker patterns are working well. Lighter colors have been doing well over sandy bottoms.
The redfish bite has been doing well in deeper cuts in the mangroves. Most of these fish have been running under the 18” minimum length, but the numbers have been good. The bars and potholes along the mangroves have been holding bigger fish. Shrimp has been the bait of choice. I have been fishing them on a jig head on the bottom. Low incoming tide seems to be when the reds have been most active.
The sheepshead are also beginning to school up. Winter time is when they spawn, so this is the time for big sheeps. Big structure is the key for these guys, dock’s and rocky walls will be holding good numbers of fish. Look for the oldest crusty structure you can find and they will be there. If your local tackle shop has fiddler crabs, get you a few dozen. I highly recommend getting more than you think you might need. These guys are masters at picking your hook clean. A small circle hook with enough weight to hold the bottom will work. Don’t let the cooler weather keep you off the water, we have plenty of fish to keep you busy.
To experience some of southwest Florida’s finest fishing, give us a call or send an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your party’s needs. Capt. Dave Stephens, 941-916-5769, www.backbayextremes.com